When it comes to playing for their country, history dictates that Italian players know how to turn it on and win games.

Introducing Italy

Italy may no longer be the intimidating side that once boasted some of the world’s greatest players but Cesare’s Prandelli’s team is one that is looking to restore pride by not only achieving all important results but by also playing an attractive style of football.

Of course, just as another tournament approaches, the country finds itself embroiled in yet another match-fixing scandal with several high-profile names implicated and under investigation. With the likes of Domenico Criscito forcibly excluded from the final squad, some are worried this calcioscommesse scandal will scupper the team’s chances of winning. However, as we saw in the 2006 World Cup, one should never underestimate the power of such scandals, as it will force the team to unite in the face of adversity in order to maintain the reputation of calcio.

A youthful team with a sprinkle of World Cup winners, this newly created group boasts seven Juventus players who just finished a record-breaking season and alongside their compatriots will be hoping to prove both their strength and the value of Italian football.

How they qualified

Having failed so spectacularly in the 2010 World Cup, Italy needed a revolution and new coach Cesare Prandelli was tasked with restoring pride to a team that has always been considered a protagonist in International football.

Old players were discarded, younger players were introduced and Prandelli focused on building a creative side that played a special brand of possession football that would both excite the fans as well as achieve the right results. This is no longer an Italian team that work doggedly to achieve a win but one that exploits the creative artistry of the many diminutive players the country boasts in a 4-3-1-2 formation that excluded a target man. With Giuseppe Rossi injured, Italy will have to adjust their tactics.

Statistically this is a side that is second only to Spain when it comes to keeping possession and despite the strength of their defence that has only conceded two goals in qualifiers and kept seven clean sheets, the squad is built to create goal-scoring opportunities to produce a proactive Italian side that look to impose their own brand of football.

Placed in a somewhat ‘easy’ group, Italy were unbeaten in the qualifiers, winning eight and drawing two. Yet despite the number of points collected, one cannot help but feel the team were never really tested considering the quality of the opposition. The only true challenge was going to be the match against Serbia but that match was abandoned due to rioting Serbian fans and Italy were awarded a 3-0 win.

Probable line-up

Buffon

Maggio - Barzagli - Bonucci - Chiellini

De Rossi - Pirlo - Marchisio

Montolivo

Balotelli - Cassano

Italy have been known to favour the 4-3-1-2 formation, playing with a trequartista behind the front two pairing. However, Prandelli is not shy when it comes to experimentation and has been testing out the 4-3-3 shape in training using two wide forwards.

The 3-5-2 formation is another possibility and one that helped lead Juventus to Serie A success as they conceded fewer goals than any other team in Europe. Considering all three Juve defenders have been picked as well as Christian Maggio who also plays in a three-man defence at Napoli, Prandelli has hinted that it is a formation that will be considered.

Star man

In terms of creative reliability, there is only one man who can guarantee a perfect performance in midfield, the same man who inspired Juventus to glory this season: Andrea Pirlo.

Expertly dictating the tempo of the game, few players can provide the artistry this man can still deliver on a daily basis. His delicious defence splitting passes in addition to his ability in keeping possession will prove vital for a squad eager to play an attacking style of football whilst maintaining balance.

Potential breakthrough star

More than being simply regarded as a genius footballer who leads the attack superbly, Mario Balotelli's inclusion and possible success in the tournament represents the evolution of the Azzurri.

The player whose goal against Poland was the first to be scored by a black man for Italy has already made history and his country will be hoping he will continue to make headlines for his performances on the pitch as opposed to his foolishness off it.

The coach

Radiating a melancholic aura as he sits before the press to deliver yet another interview, Cesare Prandelli is the antithesis of a typical Italian Football Coach. Shy, philosophical and experimental, the Azzurri Coach is one who, as I noted before, favours the beauty of football to the security of results and has been credited with uniting and overhauling an ageing squad that failed so miserably in the 2010 World Cup.

In addition to a new style of play, players are only selected based on meritocracy and must abide by his code of ethics or they will face exclusion. This has gone some way in producing a cohesive team unit that focuses on the strength of the group as opposed to relying on the individual talents of a few.

Yes despite prioritising beautiful play, Prandelli knows only how to win having played under Giovanni Trapattoni for Juventus during a time in which glory was expected and always achieved. As a coach, he led to Fiorentina to unimaginable performances in the Champions League defeating the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool. Now as the boss of the Azzurri, he continues to dazzle the fans with his courageous experimentations and perfect results.

Recent form

When it comes to friendlies, Italy has been hit and miss. Whilst they managed to win against both Spain and Poland, they lost their last two games against Uruguay and USA. However, theses games have solely been used for experimentation purposes and offer little insight when it comes to judging the overall quality of the team.

Expectations/prediction

This may not be an Azzurri side packed with stars but when it comes to playing for their country, history dictates that Italian players know how to turn it on and win games.

They are at least expected to reach the quarter-finals but it may be difficult to get even further.